Clothesline structure



Dec. 7, 1948. SEYMOUR 2,455,446

CLOTHESLINE STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 6, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. MARY E. SE YMQ ua www 1948- M. E. SEYMOUR I CLOTHESLINE STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1947 MARY E.

IN VEN TOR. SEY M0 an.

Patented Dec. 7, 1948 umreo STATES caram- 1 .Claim.

This invention herein disclosed relates. to-a pinless .clothes line structure; and. has for: its. principal object, first; aplura-lity of twisted lines:

horizontally positioned, second, ameans-toseparate the lines temporarily for the-insertion-of theecorners of pieces of laundry as attaching.

meansior the laundry. to. the line without the use ;of clothes pins, andthird, an-eificient means to twist the lines. and adjustably stretch the same to avoid sagging thereof.

A. further object is toprovide an element through which the lines are threaded, saidelement beingv the means. toseparate thelinesfrom each other a spaced distance from. each side thereof for attaching andv removalwof pieces of laundry from the. lines as the element is moved manually a selecteddirection therealong.

A still further objectis the provision of arectangular. frame that is stationarily retainedby gripping the same, andfan annular ring-like element to rotate in said rectangular frame for opening and closing the twists of the lines, said rectangular frame having. a roller in each corner thereof .to carry and permit free rotation ofithe ring-like element, last said object setting, out' the components of the line separating means above set forth.

These and other objects will hereinafter be more fully explained, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a' partof this specification, and inwhich like characters will apply to like parts inthe different-views;

Referring to: the drawings:

Fig. 1 is.a side elevation of the clothes line structure;

Fig. 2 is anienlarged-side' view of the clothes line'separating element, parts being removed 'forconvenience of illustration.

Fig. 3is a cross sectional vievr'ofFig, '2*on.line 3'3;

Fig. 4is an enlarged planviewcf"theitwisting and. stretching means for the lines, parts being removed for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 5 is a sideview.of.the..clothes line structure, illustrating a, modified separating element ion the line.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side view of the modified separating element shownin-Fig. 6; parts being removed for convenience of illustration.

Figr'T'is a sectional view-taken on line I -Tin- Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line8 -8- in Fig. 6.

The clothes line structure consists of'a'major line- I, said linebeing untwisted and having'jits ends rigidlysupported. Oneend of said-line issecured-to a-bracket 2, that is-attachEdto a rigid support 3, while the other end of said line I is secured to a cylindrical tube 4, said tube being rotatably carried by a channel member 5 as showzrim-Fig; 4.. Oneenixof said tube .4 rotates. in.a-leg.. 5B of..thechannel member 5.v through. whiclrthetube extends, while the other endofi said tubehaszahead; 6 through which a.pin .l

engages, .saidx pin. being, inserted .in the other: leg;

ofthe channel member and fastened by a cotter: key 8; To tighten the.line the tube 4 is-pulled outwardly a predetermined" distance to permit the last said end ofthe tube to: clear; a protrusion.'9='that is. carried by the second said legro-f the channel member 'andengages :in an aperture it; through. said head, and then. said tube: is turned by a handle H that engages diametrically; through openings 5| in the tube, and. may be removedwhen tightening of the lines hasbeen accomplished. When the line is tightened sufficiently, the tube is released and by action of spring, |2.that engages on the pin I; the protrusion9. will enter an aperture I0 toretain the. tube against rotation. The. channelmember. 5 is rotatably secured tov a bracket element I3' through the medium ofa b'olt l4, saidimember. 5 being retainedagainst rotation by a looking device l5that engages through an opening I 5" in the web 52' of the channel'member and through an opening'53in the bracket, saidbracket"! 3 being attached'toa rigid support l3.

Twisted. about the major" line I and running from endt'o end thereof is a pair of minor lines I6; saidiminorlines having'one set of corresponding ends secured" to the bracket 2', while theirother" ends are adjustably secured" to a similar tube 4 as previously described, said tubes b'eing' rotated to tighten their respective-line in like manner to that of the major line. The minor lines are twisted about the major line by the rotation-of the channel element 5, which is retained against rotation by the-insertion ofthe locking device [5, andfrom timeto time'as I the lines become slack; th'esame may be tightened by therotatable tubes 4.

The major line may be of a galvanized single strand'wire, whilethe minor'lines may be of flexible nature such-as fabric cords; orcables consisting of a-plurality of fine metallic strands to provide free andrepeated bending thereof as the minor linesare twisted and untwisted in their function of securing pieces of'laundry to the ma jor line'withoutthe' use of clothes pins.

To'open the minor lines for providing an openingfor the insertionbf laundry and to'remove the laundry from themajor line, there is provided a separating-elementthat is moved" in a selected direction for its respective purpose.

The said separating element consists of a' 'rectangular frame lThaving a handle I8 secured to one-of its corners, and depending downwardly therefrom. Rotatable in said rectangular frame is an annular ring-like element [9 that is carried by rollers 20 positioned adjacent the corners of the rectangular frame. To avoid lateral or endwise movement of the ring in the frame is through the medium of a depressed plate 2| for each side thereof, said plates, each having a centrally disposed opening 54 as accessible means to the annular ring Ill. The rollers are mounted upon sleeves 22 that extend from one plate to the other plate and being secured thereto by screws 22', said screws extending through open,- ings 55 in the plates and threadedly engaging in their respective ends of the sleeves 22, whereby the plates are clamped to the rectangular frame as carrying means for the rollers and furthermore to avoid lateral movement of the annular ring 19.

Carried by the annular ring l9 is a pair of grooved rollers 23 and 24, spaced apart and adapted to revolve about the center axis of the annular ring as carried thereby at the time of twisting and untwisting the minor lines as engaged thereby. The rollers are rotatably mounted on a shaft 25, ends of each shaft engaging in the annular ring tightly to avoid displacement thereof during operation of the separating element. To diametrically retain the rollers within the ring, spacers 26 are mounted on the shaft and positioned on the sides of the rollers.

The major line slidably engages through a tube 21 that is axially carried in the ring l9 by a pair of discs 28 and 29 that are clamped to the sides of the ring by bolts 30 extending through the discs as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The tube 21 is pressed tightly in a centrally disposed aperture 56 of disc 28, and extending loosely into an aperture 51 of the other disc 29 to provide easy separation of the discs from the annular ring. To retain the periphery of the discs in registry with that of the ring is through the medium of an annular flange 3| extending inwardly from each disc and engaging the ring internally. Each disc has a pair of elongated slots 32 through which the minor lines extend as engaged by the rollers. To operate the separating element, the same is moved by gripping the handle, during which time the ring element is rotated as the rollers follow the twists of the minor lines to untwist the lines forwardly of the line of movement of said separating element for removing laundry from the lines, while rearwardly with respect to the above line of movement, the minor lines are twisted about the major line after the laundry has been inserted between the major and the minor lines. It will be understood that the rollers are sufficiently spaced apart to provide separation of the minor lines from the time of securing or removing from.

Figs. to 8, inclusive, illustrate a modified separating element for a pair of twisted lines 33 and 34, the ends of which are secured rigidly in the same manner as previously described for the minor and major lines, and components thereof are identified by the same reference characters.

It will be seen that the modified arrangement consists of a rectangular frame 35, having a circular depressed plate secured to each side thereof by bolts 36 extending through openings 58 in the plates and having nuts 59 to clamp the rectangular frame therebetween. The depressed portion 31 of the plate is means to retain the plates in registry with respect to an opening 60 provided therein centrally while the flange portion 38 of laundry therethe major line at i the plate lies upon its respective edge of the frame and extends therefrom to provide a stop to avoid slipping of an operators hand from the rectangular frame when the same is gripped for movement of the separating element along said pair of lines for opening and closing the twists thereof for the purpose above described. In this instance of movement, the force applied to move the element is applied at two points, which are diametrically opposite each other, in other words, the thumb engages one side of the rectangular frame between the flanges, while the fingers engage an opposite side thereof. The bolts 36 are positioned in their respective corner of the frame, and have a mounted thereon flanged rollers 39 as rotatable receiving means for an annular ring 40, said ring having plates 41 to close its sides thereof. Positioned in the ring and carried thereby is a roller carrying block comprised of a base portion 42 and a pair of legs 43 extending oppositely from the base portion, each pair of legs to provide a bearing for -its respective grooved roller 44 that are adapted to rotate as carried by their respective shafts 45 extending therethrough and through the legs as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8. The roller carrying block is secured in the ring 40 by a pair of bolts 46 that extend through the plates and through said base portion 42 and having nuts 6| whereby the ring and block element are clamped by the plates similarly as described for Fig. 3. The discs or plates 4| are apertured as at 41 as threading means for the lines through the said internally rotatable ring 40.

While I have shown a. pair of minor lines twisted about a major line, the same may be increased in the number of lines if so desired without departing from the spirit of my invention, and furthermore the exact details and proportion thereof may be varied as lie within the scope of the appended claim.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and "desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a separating element of the class described, for use with a plurality of twisted lines, a rectangular frame, means on the frame to manipulate the element, a pair of depressed plates for each side of the frame, and rollers rotatably mounted internally of the frame adjacent the respective corners of the frame, an inner ringlike element rotatably carried by the rollers, said ring-like element having connected plates to close each side thereof, and grooved pulleys mounted on shafts between the plates each adapted toreceive its respective line as opening means for the twists of the line.

MARY E. SEYMOUR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Seymour Sept. 10, 1946 

